Hamilton County IL 1850 - TRANSCRIPTION COMMENTS
This Census was transcribed by John C. Jacoby, Callie@anet-chi.com, and
proofread by Carol Lee Yarbrough, cyarbou@cswnet.com, for the USGenWeb
Census Project, http://www.usgenweb.org/census.
Copyright 1999 by John C. Jacoby, Callie@anet-chi.com,
************************************************************************
USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in
any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or
persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material,
must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal
representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb
archivist with proof of this consent.
************************************************************************
Thanks to S-K Publications for providing the census page photocopies from
which this transcription was made. The complete original, handwritten
census of this county is available in book form (including a typed index)
from S-K Publications, PO Box 8173, Wichita KS 67208
(www.skpub.com/genie/census.html).
************************************************************************
Census_Year 1850
Microfilm # 432-108
State IL
County Hamilton
Cursory results revealed by the census:
* The total population was 6393 individuals with three duplicates
* 1065 were illiterate ( nearly 1 out of every 5 )with very high incidence
among older females
* 1072 had attended school recently
* 78 were newlyweds
* The average family consisted of about six members
* 3096 residents were female
* 3294 residents were male
* 56 residents were non-white
* 10 residents were mentally or physically handicapped
* 57% of the population was born in Illinois,
* 15% of the population was born in TN
* 10% of the population was born in KY
* The remaining residents were primarily from SC, NC, OH, VA, GA, IN, and
IA.
* Lesser numbers came from MO, MD, ME, VT, NY, NJ, and PA.
* 82 were born in Germany; one more was born during the voyage.
* 34 were born in England, another 30 in Ireland
* John was the most common male name, then William and James
* Mary was the most common female name, then Elizabeth and Martha
* The oldest resident at 103 years was John Johnson born in NC.
* The next oldest at 85 were Hannah Jimson a black female from VA., and
Sarah Shadhorn also born in VA.
* Approximately 755 males were self-employed.
* Farming was the dominant occupation.
* There were 12 Physicians, 12 merchants, 12 Blacksmiths, one Sheriff, and
one Methodist Minister.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Surname variations are common, especially within families with a high
percentage of illiteracy. In addition, many Hamilton County families had
kinfolk in neighboring counties and states, other name variations occur in
those collar counties. The researcher will be forced to accept this
situation, and make the best of it.
1820 Hamilton Co. was formed from White Co. in 1821, so it is not listed in
the IL census returns for 1820, which is sorted by county. Hamilton Co.
was formed from White Co. in 1821. The surname Standifer was spelled
Standerford, Standiver and Standiferd on the 1820 White Co. Census.
1830 - 1840
In the 1840 census there are many of the same surnames as are on the 1850
census but spelled differently. For example: Standifer spelled Standafer.
On the 1830 census the name is spelled Kandefer. The Researcher will want
to refer to the 1850 surnames in documenting the 1840 census.
1860 - 1870
Name changes that have been reported by other researchers in the later
census are listed below. The researcher should accept this list with
caution.
6/6: Deets, Nancy 9f (See 1870 Ham Co. film, p. 133)
16/16: Heard (See 1860 Ham Co. film, p. 239)
116/116: Dewit (See 1860 Ham Co. film, p. 97)
122/122: Lynes [Sims] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 42)
130/130: Sams [Sims] (See 1860 census Mason County)
138/138: Salavin [Sullivan] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 94)
145/145: Snover (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 96)
157/157: Harreson [Harrelson] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 109)
180/180: Gar_in [Garvin] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 51)
198/198: Sanprona [Sophronia] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 57)
337/337: Adcock, Isaac (Note: Isaac is included with 338/338 Adcock
family in the 1860 Ham Co film, p. 201)
349/349: Donothy [Doughty] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 192)
367/367: Still (See 1860 Ham Co film p. 102)
397/397: Marzoe [Mezo] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 59)
399/399: Marzoe [Mezo] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 59)
516/516: Hardresty, Christopher (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 12)
632/632: Gipson, Benjamin M. (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 5; Dwg. 32)
659/659: Hugher [Hughs] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 84)
679/679: Granta [Greenlee] (See 1870 Ham Co film)
691/691: Revonocher [Reubenacker] (See 1860 film, p. 151)
697/697: Zackmin, Marzell (See 1860 film, p. 218)
713/713: Kascher, Solomon (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 196)
720/720: Estes, Deca (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 232)
917/917: Gallic [Gullick] (See 1860 film, p. 239)
942/942: Daly, Erington [Evington] (See 1860 film Ham Co, p. 132)
998/998: Wilson,Joseph Co.,Farmer,$300,b.TN (See 1860 film Ham Co.,
p. 102)
1005/1005: Monsall [Munsell] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 124)
1036/1036: Witton [Witter] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 231)
1045/1045: Faster [Foster] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 111)
1056/1056: Langly, Jaicey [Joicey] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 96)
Those are the only documented changes of surnames. The rest of the
changes are the transcriber's interpretation of the S-K census film
photocopy.
Page numbers are shown as follows: Original, stamped - the original being
Wingate's (handwritten 383 thru 536) and the number stamped when the
original document was microfilmed. (i.e. 192,192B, 193, 193B...etc).
Wingate skipped one page. (414) The following explains this inconsistency:
Written Stamped
409 205a
205b omitted
410 206a
411 206b
412 207a
413 207b
414 omitted
415 208a
416 208b
Occupational data is limited. Laborers were members of a transient
agricultural labor force, and tended to share room and board with their
working family. Wingate succeeded in limiting the number of duplicate
entries to about three. There is little doubt that Mr. Wingate tended
toward generalization when listing occupations. One half of the males over
sixteen, are listed as "Laborer," and one half are "Farmer." The
distinction between farmer, and laborer seems to have discretional.
Prominent families tend to have more and younger "Farmers." All other
occupations account for less than one percent of the males. Female
situations are not even attempted.
Birthplaces within a family provide a good indication of their geographical
wanderings, and some indication of how long they stayed in residence.
Birthplace information for persons born in Indiana and Iowa can be
confusing. "IA" & "IN" Both could have referred to Indiana in 1850. Iowa
was made a territory in 1838 and a state in 1846. The decision as to what
"IA" stood for in the 1850 census is left to the researcher. This
transcription used the original notation of Robert Wingate.